Janus channel of membranes enables concurrent oil and water recovery from emulsions

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Guo, Xin-Yu; Zhao, Lei; Li, Hao-Nan; Yang, Hao-Cheng; Wu, Jian; Liang, Hong-Qing; Zhang, Chao; Xu, Zhi-Kang
• 署名单位: Zhejiang University; Zhejiang University; Zhejiang University; Dalian University of Technology; Zhejiang University; Zhejiang University
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-11397
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adq6329
• 发表日期: 2024-11-08
• 页码: 654-659
• 关键词: efficient separation; microfiltration

摘要

Existing separation technologies struggle to recover oil and water concurrently from surfactant-stabilized emulsions to achieve the goal of near-zero liquid discharge. We present a Janus channel of membranes (JCM) that features a confined architecture constructed of a pair of hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes, which allows for concurrent, highly efficient recovery of oil and water from surfactant-stabilized emulsions. The confined Janus channel can amplify the interplay of the membrane pair through a feedback loop that involves enrichment and demulsification. Our JCM achieves exceptional oil and water recoveries of up to 97 and 75%, respectively, with near 99.9% purities. Moreover, its versatility in handling diverse emulsions may enable near-zero liquid discharge for a range of separations.